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ENERGY SECURITYJudge Orders Pentagon to Resume Wind Energy Project Reviews
A federal judge has ordered the Department of Defense to lift its blockade of wind energy projects and resume the permitting process that has ground to a halt during President Donald Trump’s second term. The Defense Department had halted national security reviews for onshore wind projects.
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POWER-GRID PROTECTIONFighting AI with AI to keep the lights on
A process key to protecting our nation’s electrical grid is getting smarter and faster. have been working on a system that uses generative AI and large language models to both detect and locate cyber-physical threats to the electrical grid.
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POWER-GRID PROTECTIONAI for Electric Grid Protection
Sandia is engaged in multiple research and development efforts that use AI to secure the electric grid against intentional and natural threats, as well as problems created by aging infrastructure and unprecedented load growth.
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTIONHow Hackers Attack Municipal Water Systems – and Why the Utilities Are So Vulnerable
There are about 152,000 public drinking water systems in the United States. Many utilities operate with small staffs, so remote connections allow an employee to monitor a distant pump or tank, receive an alarm after hours or let a vendor diagnose equipment without traveling to every site. Remote control reduces site-management cost, but increases vulnerability to hacking.
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THE AMERICASGuyana’s Oil Boom and the Old Curse
As Guyana becomes one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, its sudden oil wealth is testing whether a small democracy in the Americas can escape the resource curse that has plagued so many petrostates.
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NUCLEAR POWERWorking to Automate Nuclear Plant Operations
For nuclear to be considered as a viable clean energy source, it has to be competitively priced and economical to produce. Ph.D. student Lauren Fortier is building on the experience she gained operating a nuclear plant for the Navy to solve a critical hurdle in the wider adoption of the energy source.
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ENERGY SECURITYExpert: Oil Is Rarely the Cause of War
It is a misconception to talk about ‘oil wars’ and great powers going to war to secure energy supplies, says a professor of political science.
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ENERGY SECURITYWhy the Iran War Hasn’t Caused a Global Oil Crisis — Yet
When the Strait of Hormuz first closed at the start of the 2026 Iran war, the world braced for the “largest energy crisis in history.” But a little over four months into the war, little of that has come to pass. The world has found ways to adapt without crude from the Strait of Hormuz. Experts say that won’t last.
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ENERGY SECURITYFor Energy Systems That Power a Reliable Grid, the Future Is All About Location
Researchers have created a way to make more climate-informed energy siting choices, and shown how it can be used to make energy systems more resilient and reduce blackouts. Where new energy projects are built could be key to avoiding blackouts in a future with hotter weather and other challenges.
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NATURAL DISASTERSFeds Increasingly Leave Local Governments Hanging When Climate Disasters Hit: Report
Communities that ask for federal assistance when climate disasters hit can’t count on that help to arrive.
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ENERGY SECURITYThe Pentagon Is Blocking More Than 150 Wind Projects Over Drone Fears
The Trump administration claims wind turbines pose a national security threat. The industry says it’s pure politics.
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DISASTER RECOVERYWhen Disaster Recovery Becomes a Way of Life: Community Disaster Fatigue Is on the Rise with More Frequent Floods
Flash flooding has been tearing up communities across the U.S., with heavy downpours sending creeks and rivers rushing over their banks. If this feels like déjà vu after two summers of flash flooding across America, imagine being a community that has had to live through flooding like this again and again.
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DAMSWhat Should America Do with Its Aging Dams?
Aging dams pose growing safety and economic challenges. Two Stanford water experts discuss the safety, economic, and environmental tradeoffs driving debates over dam removal.
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WATER SECURITYU.S. Supreme Court to Hear Colorado-Nebraska Water Dispute
Nebraska has set aside $600 million for a new canal that would start along the South Platte River in the northwest corner of Colorado. But the state alleged Colorado has sought to impede the effort, in violation of its compact with Nebraska.
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ENERGY SECURITYChina’s ‘Artificial Sun’: The Holy Grail of Energy
China has achieved a major milestone in its pursuit of commercial nuclear fusion, with two domestically developed superconducting magnets designed for a fusion reactor successfully passing technical acceptance and full-load testing.
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The long view
POWER-GRID RESILIENCEA Simple — Yet Expensive — Way to Climate-Proof the Grid: Bury the Power Lines
Underground power lines are far less vulnerable to extreme weather, but burying them doesn’t come cheap. After a historic ice storm in northern Michigan, utilities there are reconsidering the cost.